In this blog I will be giving my political opinions on both issues at home and abroad.
I will also focus on the issues that affect the people of Ipswich and in particular those who live in Rushmere Ward.
I will also try and give an insight to how I will be campaigning in Rushmere and Ipswich as we fight against the savage cuts imposed by this Tory Government

Tuesday, 9 August 2016

Invited to your own funeral – can we save the Labour Party?

Last night we heard the results for the election of constituency
representatives to the NEC. Not a great night for the moderates with the ‘Left’
slate winning all six seats. It does not mean the fight for the party is over
but it makes it more likely that Corbyn will remain leader – but for how long?

Yesterday I shared a conversation on twitter and afterwards I felt almost helpless and very
sad that we have got to this point – I feel let down by the PLP, not because they
passed a no confidence vote in Corbyn but because some of them lent votes to
Corbyn to get him into the last leadership competition.

Facts – not sure why I bother with facts as most of the
Corbyn support (some of who I class as friends) seem to have decided to almost
have a cult like view of Jeremy Corbyn – he can do no wrong in their eyes and
they always seem to have an excuse at hand for his many mistakes.

But some facts – as I see them:

The PLP and in some cases – Cllrs and CLPs had moved away
from the membership – and now they are even further away from the views of a
much larger (and in most cases) and new membership.

So it is understandable that many of the membership have little
faith in the PLP –the trouble is for the Labour Party, in my view the MPs views
are closer to Labour voters than our new membership, we have become a middle
class party, with a membership who in most cases have had little to do with the
people who need a Labour Government most. Here in Ipswich, the ward which has
seen the largest increase in membership is St Margaret’s – a ward that is held
by the Lib Dems with the Tories in second place, whilst in wards that would be
seen as working class and safe Labour seats (depending on the state of UKIP after
their own leadership battle) we have seen very few new members.

Bur Corbyn supporters can see nothing wrong in Corbyn – and they
seem in many cases oblivious to the fact that behind Corbyn, McDonnell and
others (through Momentum) are pushing the party further left and makes us
un-electable.

Why did Corbyn not put as much effort into the Euro
referendum campaign as he is into his own leadership battle – he should have
held a rally for us staying in the EU, IN Hull, Liverpool and Cardiff but he
seemed to only be involved in the campaign because he was being forced to?

This week he had an opportunity to attack the Tories over
the Cameron recommendations for new members of the House of Lords – this should
have been something Corbyn relished as he has been a long time critic of the
upper house, but instead we had the sad sight of a (far left) Labour leader,
spending his time lobbying Number 10 to get his own nomination for the Lords
accepted.

We also have the constant attacks on the media – msm, as
Corbynistas prefer to call it- mainstream media – but yet again seeming to
ignore the fact that Corbyn sidekick, Milne is on loan from the Guardian (msm) and
that Diane Abbott was happy to spend the last 4 years sat on a sofa with Portillo
on the BBC Politics Show (msm).

I expect another leadership challenge in 2017 and possibly
2018 and 2019 – what have MP’s to lose? Many will lose their seats if Corbyn
stays as leader and some may not even get a chance to stand again once Momentum
start to force de-selection of MPs who are not politically pure.

I will continue to fight to get rid of Corbyn – and please
do not lecture me on loyalty – how can anyone be loyal to a leader who voted
against the Labour Party over 500 times.

I just hope that my friends and others who support Corbyn
wake up to the fact that he is not a leader and never will be and that whilst
he stays in power, others from the 'Far Left' will use his position to make sure
the Party moves further left – and further away from those who need us most.

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About Me

I am 55 and married with two children, I stood for the Labour Party in the Rushmere Ward in Ipswich at 2006 and 2007 local elections and then won it for Labour on May 1st 2008 with a majority of 13 before retaining the seat in 2012 with a majority of over 500. I retaining the seat again in 2016.
I live in the ward and I was born in Ipswich and both my parents (Annie and Peter Ross) were Labour councillors in Ipswich.
I went to Tower Ramparts School in the town (Yes, it was a school before it became a shopping centre!)
In 1978, I left Ipswich to join the army. I spent 24 years in the Royal Green Jackets, serving in Northern Ireland, Bosnia and Kosova.
Since leaving the army in 2002, I have worked in a local school.
I spent 2009 back with the army, 7 months in Sangin, Afghanistan as Operations Warrant Officer with 2 Rifles.
I am the campaign organisor in Rushmere
Sport is my other great interest and I was one of the founding members of the Ipswich Town Independent Supporters Trust.